Apparatus for raising and moving earth



(No Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 1] R. T. WHITE.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND MOVING EARTH. No. 428,437. Patented May 20, 1890.-

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

R. T. WHITE.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND MOVING EARTH.

No. 428,437. Patented May 20, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R.'T. WHITE. APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND MOVINGBARTH.

No. 428,437. Patented May 20, 1890.

A a l F g.6. a

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

REYNOLDS T. \VHITE, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF TVO-THIRDS TO BENTON VVHIDDEN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND MOVING EARTH.-

SPEGIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,437, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed December 9, 1889. Serial No. 333,119. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REYNOLDS T. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Raising and Moving Earth, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an apparatus for raising and moving earth, particularly adapted for use in excavating cellars or for laying sewers; and the invention consists in constructing the frame in such manner that it can be readily put together or I 5 taken apart for transportation, the parts being interchangeable, and in certain details of construction hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an earth-moving apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line as 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation 2 5 of the machinery for operating the apparatus, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a plan or top view of the same. Figs. 6 to 12 are details of various parts.

The frame of the apparatus is of wrought- 0 iron pipe, and consists of standards A A, cross-pieces B B, and longitudinal pieces 0 O, secured together by suitable connections. The lower ends of the standards A A are secured in sockets D D,faste11ed to stringers or 3 5 girders E E. The stringers or girders E E are kept from spreading by means of bars E,

(see Fig. 3,) and are carried by rollers F F,

that rest or travel upon blocks, ways, or tracks G G, so that the whole frame may be moved 4.0 along as required or held stationary thereon by dogs or other suitable means. A platform is provided at the rear end of the structure for carrying a truck T, that is provided with the boiler-engine and hoisting apparatus,

as hereinafter described.

To the standards A A are secured brackets H, that carry pipes I, which form the track or ways for the carrying-travelers J to run upon. This track is continuous, the two side tracks being connected at their ends by a half-circular pipe, so that the travelers J can run entirely round the structure.

To the cross-pieces B B are secured hangers K, that carry a straight pipe L, that forms a track for the hoisting-traveler M to run 5 5 upon. The hoisting-traveler M (shown e11- larged in Fig. 7-, Sheet 2, which represents a front and side elevation) consists of a piece of metal a of the form shown, and provided with two wheels I) b to travel upon the track L, and immediately in the center belowthese two wheels I) b is a small wheel mover-which thehoistin g chain or rope passes. Each end of this traveler is provided with eyes 61 d, to which are secured each end of the rope or 65 chain N, that passes round a pulley P at the forward end of the apparatus and over pulleys Q R at the rear end down to and around awindlass S, mounted upon the truck T. (See Figs. 1, 4:, 6, and 7.) This Windlass is provided with handles 3, and also a notched wheel 25, into which the lever LL falls and prevents the Windlass from turning when the traveler M is in the desired position. \Vhen it is required to move the traveler M to another part 7 5 of the apparatus, all that has to be done is to press on the handle of the lever to and rotate the Windlass until the traveler is in the position desired.

The carrying-travelers J (shown on a larger scale in Fig. 8, Sheet 2) are made in two parts hinged together, as shown, each part being provided with a wheel 6, that runs upon the track I, and provided at theirlower ends with eyes f f, to which the chains g, for 85. carrying the buckets, are secured. The object of making these travelers in two parts and hinging them together is that they will readily run round the end curved portion of the tracks. To each of these travelers is secured a gripping device for taking hold of an endless rope or chain U, that passes round pulleys V V at each end of the apparatus, the rope or chain U having a continuous motion imparted to it, as hereinafter described. 5 The gripping device is shown enlarged in Fig.

9, Sheet 2, and consists of a stationary jaw h, that passes under the rope, and a movable jaw 2', that passes over the rope. This jaw 2' is carried by a cam j, mounted upon a shaft [0C or pin supported by brackets k. A handlej is connected to the camj. It will be seen that when the handle j is down, as shown, the movable jaw twill grip upon the rope, and the rope, being in motion, will cause thetraveler J to be carried along until the handle 7" is lifted to the raised position, as shown in dotted lines, when the grip upon the rope will be released and the traveler will then stop.

WV W are buckets for raising and carrying the earth. One of these buckets is shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 10. It consists of a rectangular box, preferably of iron, and provided with two flaps Z Z, that form the bottom. These flaps are hinged to the sides of the bucket, and are connected at each end by means of bars, links, or chains on m to a lever X, fulcrumed at each end at 412, so that when the lever X is in the raised position, as shown, the flaps will be closed, but when in the lowered position, as shown in dotted lines, the flaps will be open to allow the contents of the bucket to fall out. To lock the lever X in the raised position, two bolts Y Y are secured at their inner ends to a hand-lever Z, that is f ulcrumed at at, one of the bolts being connected above and one below the fulcrum, as shown, the outer ends of the bolts Y Y passing through eyes 19 p to support and guide them.

WV is a bail by means of which the bucket is hoisted and carried. I prefer to make the bucket slightly larger at the bottom than at the top, sothat when (lumping the load there will be a clear run and no liability of the earth adhering to the sides of the bucket.

To the standards A, I secure brackets 19. (See Fig. 11.) These brackets I form of pipe, as shown, connected together by a metal strap q. The lower end of the bracket is provided with a plate 0, that rests against the standard A, and the upper end is provided with a hinged clamp a, secured by a bolt 11, so that it can readily be attached to or detached from the standard A. Upon these brackets 79, I place a board on boards, so as to form a platform 10 for the man or boy that attends to attaching and detaching the buckets to stand upon.

In Fig. 12 I have shown the means I prefer for connecting the pipes that form the rails I and L, so as to have an unbroken surface for the travelers to run upon.

The mechanism for hoisting and conveying is shown drawn to an enlarged scale in Figs. 4 and 5, in which T is a truck mounted upon wheels t, so that it can be run onto and removed from a platform A at the rear end of the apparatus, and when in the desired posit-ion is secured by dogs, chains, or other suitable means. Secured upon the truck T is aboiler 1 and engine 2. 3 3 are standards in which is mounted a shaft 4, on one end of which is a crank 5, secured to the piston-rod 6. In the center of the shaft 4 is secured a sprocketwheel '7, the sides of which are provided with projections that form a clutch to cause the pulleys or drums 8 8 to revolve when thrown into gear. The drums 8 are mounted loosely upon the shaft 4, so that they can be shifted into or out of gear with the clutch by means of hand-levers 9 9, fulcrumed at the rear end to standards 10, and the forward ends passing over a bar 11, provided with stops 12, so that when the levers 9 are placed on one side or the other of the stops 12 they will be locked and the drums 8 prevented from shifting. In the drawings I have shown one of the drums 8 in gear and one out of gear.

13 13 are foot-levers fulcrumed to the lower end of the standards 10, and 14 14 are straps of metal secured at one end to the standards 10, then passing over the bars or hub of the pulleys 8, and connected at the other end to the lever 13, so as to form a brake.

15 is an endless chain (see Figs. 1 and 2) that passes round the sprocket-wheel 7, over idle-pulleys 16, and round a sprocket-wheel or pulley 17, secured to the pulley V, so that when motion is imparted to the sprocket-wheel 7 it will cause the wheels 17 and V to revolve, and with them the endless rope or chain U.

20 is a chain, one end of which is secured to the drum 8, and then passed over an idlepulley 21 an d wheel 0 in the traveler M, its outer end being provided with a hook for lifting the buckets WV.

The operation is as follows: The apparatus having been placed in the desired position and the engine started, a continuous motion is imparted to the rope or chain U by the chain 15. A bucket having been filled, the chain 20 islowered and the bucket attached. It is then hoisted to the required height, and the hook on the chain g is placed in the bail WV. Then the chain 20 is slackened and the bucket left suspended on the traveler J. The handlej is then forced down, and the movable jaw 71 of the gripping device is brought onto the rope U and tightly grips it, which, being in motion, causes the traveler J, with the bucket WV, to be carried along to. the rear of the apparatus. IVhen it has arrived in the place it is desired to dump the load, the handle Z is pushed to one side and the flapsZ Zfall down, thereby dumping the load. The leverX is then raised and the lever Z pushed over, thereby looking it ready for another load. (If desired, the grip may be released while the load is being dumped.) The traveler then passes round the end of the apparatus to the other side, and when it arrives at the point for lowering the grip is released and the hook on the chain 20 placed in the bail W and hoisted a short distance, when the bucket will be carried by the chain 20 ready to be lowered. The grip is then again placed on and the traveler carried round the end to the other side ready to receive another loaded bucket.

Although I have shown only one hoistingtraveler M, any desired number may be employed; but of course a similar number of drums 8 will have to be mounted upon the driving-shaft 4, for as the shaft runs continuously to impart a continuous motion to the endless rope U a separate rope or chain 20 would have to be employed for each hoistingtraveler, as these ropes would not be employed in raising buckets at the same time, as a separate drum is required for each rope, said drums being loosely mounted upon the driving-shaft and only run when the clutch is in gear, and any desired number of carryingt-ravelers J may be employed.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In an apparatus-for raising and moving earth, the endless track I, carrying-traveler J, endless rope U, and suitable mechanism for imparting a continuous motion to said rope, in combination with ahoisting-track arranged between but above the level of said endless track, hoisting-tnveler M, and endless rope N, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the carrying-traveler, of an earth raising and moving apparatus, a gripping device consisting of a stationary jaw 72', secured to one side of the traveler,

and a movable jawiand cam j, secured 011 the opposite side of the traveling frame, and handle j, for operating the cam, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with the bucket WV, the bolts Y Y and hand-lever Z, for retaining or releasing the lever X, substantially as shown and described.

at. An apparatus for raising and moving earth, consisting of the-followin g elements: an endless track for the carrying-travelers,which are provided with a gripping appliance, an endless rope or chain for carrying said travelers along, a hoisting-traveler capable of being held in any desiredposition, a tracktherefor, and suitable mechanism for operating the same, substantially as set forth.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REYNOLDS T. WVHITE.

Witnesses:

EDWARD S. BEACH, FREDERIO E. LUM. 

